Wheeled excavator



WHEELED BXGAVATOR.

Patented out. 28, 1888..

fY f2@ M. PETERS, Pmmmmgmphar. washington, D. C,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 2.

S. M. LOCKWOOD.

WHEBLED BXGAVATOR.

No. 391,627. vPatented Oct. 23, 1888.

3 Sheets-eSheet 3.

(No Model.)

S. M. LOGKWOOD.

WHEELBD BXGAVATOR.

` Patented Oct. 23, 1888.`

NIN.

A No. 391,627.

-llNrrnn Partnr trice@ WH EELED EXCAVATOF?.

SPCIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,627, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed November 26, 1886. Serial No. 219.915. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. Looxw'oon, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented-certain new and useful Iruproveinents in Rotary VVheel-Fixcavators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that class of excavators in which a mold-board plow delivers the earth upon the wide rim of an-inclined wheel on which it is carried upward, and from which it is delivered at the top by the opening of doors or gates which form portions of the rim.

The invention has reference more especially tothe machine represented in Letters Patent of the United States issued to4 me on the 2d day of February, 1886, Nos. 335,229 and 835,230; and it consists in an improved manner of sustaining the main frame from theend of the axle; in a brace applied in connection with the axle to sustain the rear side of the frame; in guards to retain the earth on the ascending surface of the wheel; in a wheel ar ranged to close the doors or gates; in a conveyer to deliver the earth laterally beyond the point at which it is dropped from the wheel, and in other features, hereinafter explained in detail.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a transverse vertical section of my machine through the axis of the main or elevating wheel. Fig. 2 is an elevation in outline,looking from the land side. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the main frame and axle on the line of Fig. l. Fig. 4L is a plan view of the plow. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line y y, showing the means for closing the gates. Fig. 6 is avertical cross-section on the line z z, showing the guides for the plow-beam. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the thills.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the main or elevating frame revolving in an inclined position around the stationary axle B within the main frame G. The wheel is coinmonly made of a diameter of fifteen feet, more or less, strongly braced to give it the requisite rigidity, and is mounted so that its lower edge travels fiatly on the surface of the ground, while its upper edge is elevated sufficiently to admit of wagons and cars passing thereunder. The riiu of the wheel consists of the wide rigid surface a and the series of inside gates, b, rising therefrom, each gate being hinged at c, thatit may swing inward, and provided with a latch, d, or equivalent device, to holdit shut until it arrives at the proper point for the discharge of the earth.

The main frame is made of rectangular forni and of sufiicient size to encircle the wheel,and is provided in front of the wheel with two horizontal parallel timbers, e e'. These timbers are sustained, as shown in Figs. l and 2, by rods g g', passing thence upward over the horizontal end of the main axle B,which is extended upward and forward above the wheel for this purpose. Owing to the fact that the lower side of the main wheel travels on the ground, it gives firm support to the axle, which, being made of great strength, gives 1n turn a firm support to the side of the frame. This mode of sustaining the frame is an 1mportant feature of the present invention.

The lower end of the axle is extended horizontally through a ground-wheel, F, and is secured to the rear side of the main frame.

In order to keep the parts in proper position and give the proper rigidity to the frame, a block. 7i, is placed under or formed on the main axle between the wheels A and E, and braces t', extended, as shown in Figs. l and 3, from this block upward to the front and rear ends of the frame, these braces being in opposition and corresponding to the rods g g', sustaining and bracing the frainetimbers with axle B.

G represents the plow, provided. with an ordinary mold-board, lr, in position to deliver the soil upon the rim of the wheel. The moldboard is attached rigidly to a beam, Z, extending lengthwise of the machine and lying between the fraine-tiinbers c c. rlhe plow-beam is free to rise and fall, but is guided by its standard Z', sliding through guide ZY, and fixed against side motion and held at a constant dis- IOO prevented, it is free to rise and fall and to play endwise in relation to the frame as the latter swings about during the passage of the machine over uneven ground, and the organization to this end is of the essence ofthe invention.

The plow may be controlled as tothe depth of its action and lifted and sustained above an operative position by a lever, II, mounted on the frame, connected to the plow by a chain,

and arranged to engage a locking-arm, I, or

equivalent locking device.

I provide the plow with two colters, T and K, in line with the two sides of the mold-board and furrow. These colters may be of any ordinary form. I have represented the outer colter, T, in the form of a blade at the front edge of the mold-board, as usual. The inner colter, K, I have shown in Fig. 2 in the form of a blade fixed to the beam, and in Fig. 4 in the form of a disk or wheel. My improvenient resides in the use of two colterson opposite sides of the plow, and not in their form or details of construction.

Much trouble is commonly experienced in this class of machines in consequence of the earth rolling from the rim immediately behind the plow. To avoid this trouble,Iprovide two guards or fenders, M and N, lying above and along the edge of the rim in rear ofthe plow, as shown in Figs. l and 2. The forward fender, in the form of a board or plate,is jointed at its forward end at n to the plow, but sustained at its rear end by a chain, o, or otherwise, from the frame, so that it may adapt itself to the changing relations between the plow and frame. The rear fender, N, also in the form of a board or plate, is attached by rigid arms p, or like connections, to the main frame, and is carried rearward and upward to a point at which the earth has little or no tendency to leave the rim.

In order to prevent the violent action which commonly occurs in the closing of the gates after they have been opened at the top of the wheel, I provide each gate with an inwardlyextending rigid arm, q, and mount in the main frame a wheel, q', in such position that it will act upon the arms and close the gates as they pass thereunder on the descending side of the Ilm.

It will often happen that clods, turf, Ste., will cling to the rim when the gates are open and fail to pass through, and to prevent this action I mount over the top of the main wheel a stripper-board, s, secured to a rigid bar, t, or other support. It serves to detach adhering matters and compel their escape through the open gates.

In practice it has been found advisable to propel the machine by three or more draftanimals driven abreast, and to use in connection with such animals thills Z-such as shown in Fig. 7-rigidly secured to the main frame, as in Fig. 2, so that when harnessed thereto the animals will prevent the machine from tilting forward or backward. In order to equalize the strain and prevent the entire weight on the thills from being received by a single animal when working on uneven ground, I employ a single back or saddle chain or strap, o', attaching it, as shown, to the outermost thills and passing it loosely under rollers u-,or similar guides on the intermediate thills. In like manner I employ a single belly-band, P, fixed to the outer thills and passed freely over guides on the others. Thus applied, both the backstrap and belly-band may play endwise, and in so doing adjust themselves to the rising and falling movements of the animals in relation to one another.

To the end that the earth falling from the top of the wheel may be automatically delivered at the side of the road, or into a wagon traveling beside the machine, I provide the endless carrier-apron sustained by two rolls mounted in bearings on the frame. This apron extends from beneath the upper side of the wheel outward from three to six feet, or farther, if desired, and it is placed at such height as to admit of the wagon or car passing beneath its end. Gearing or driving devices of any suitable character may be used to drive the apron. I have shown a sprocket-wheel on its inner roll driven by a chain from a second wheel, which is in turn driven by a pinion from a gearing on the ground-wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In an excavator, the combination of the inclined elevator wheel arranged to travel upon the ground, the overhanging axle sustained thereby, the draft-frame suspended ou one side from said axle, the mold-board plow mounted in the frame adjacent to the lower edge of the wheel, the guides on the frame to prevent lateral motion of the plow, and the draft devices connecting the frame and plow and adapted to permit longitudinal and vertical play between them, whereby the plow is permitted to run steadily in the soil and caused to deliver the soil properly to the wheel, notwithstanding the irregular movements of the wheel and frame.

2. In an excavator', the inclined elevatorwheel, its axle, and the draft-frame suspended from the axle, in combination with the plow, the vertical guides m, allowing'vertical play but preventing lateral play of the plow-beam, and the draft-chain connecting the plow-beam with the front ofthe frame.

3. In combination with the inclined liftingwheel, the axle, and the frame sustained at one side by said axle, the vertically-movable plow therein, and the guard N,jointed at one end to the frame and at the other end to the plow, whereby it is caused to adapt itself to the changing relations of the plow and wheel.

4. In combination with the inclined elevatorwheel and the plow arranged to deliver soil thereto, the guard or fender pivotally attached to and extending rearward from the plow.

5. In combination with the inclined elevator wheel, its axle, and the frame suspended from said axle, the ve1l tically-movable plow mounted IOO IIO

in the frame adjacent to the wheel, the guard N, fixed to the frame and overlying the edgeV of the wheel, and the second guard, M,j ointed at one end to the plow and at the other to the frame and bridging over the space between the plow and the xed guard.

6. In an excavator,and in combination with the inclined wheel, the plow provided with a colter on the furrow side.

7. In an excavator, the combination of a frame, the inclined elevator wheel carried thereby and provided with the dischargingdoors, and the wheel acting to close the doors.

8. In an inclined wheel-excavator, the frame, the inclined wheel, and the axle, in combination with the braces extending from the lower part of the axle to opposite ends of the frame, and corresponding braces extending from the ends of the frame to the top of the axle.

9. In combination with a main frame and an inclined elevator-wheel connected thereto, an endless conveyer -apron extending .outward from beneath the upper delivery side of the wheel.

10. In combination with the inclined elevator-wheel, the main frame, and the groundwheel, the conveyer-apron extending outward beyond the upper side of the elevator-wheel,

supports for said apron carried by the frame, and suitable gearing through which the apron is driven from the ground-wheel.

11. In combination with the inclined wheelexcavator adapted to rock forward and backward, two or more thills rigidly attached thereto,whereby the front of the machine may be sustained from the horses7 backs, regulated in height, and prevented from tilting improperl 1%. In an excavator, in combination with the inclined elevator-wheel A,having crooked axle B and rim a, the sod-Cleaver consisting of the stripper-board s and bar t, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

13. In combination with the inclined elevator-wheel and the main frame, the wheelaxle having its upper end extended and suitably connected with the frame to carry the same, as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL M. LOOKOOD.

1Witnesses:

J. E. DODGE, HENRY F. TYRRELL. 

